Tie ax with tie puller arrangement



March 15, 1966 R. J. Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Deo. 51, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l1N VENTOR March 15, 1966 R. J. Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE PULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR March 15, 1966 R. J. Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE PULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR March 15, 1966 R` 1, Foxx 3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed DEC. 31, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4/j/////j////// ////////////!/y// INVENTOR March 15, 1966 R, J, Foxx3,240,162

TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,240,162 TIE AX WITH TIE FULLER ARRANGEMENTRobert J. Foxx, Greenfield, Wis., assignor to Nordberg ManufacturingCompany, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 31,1962, Ser. No. 248,438 3 Claims. (CL 1114-9) This invention relates to acombination tie cutter and tie remover and is particularly directed tomeans for removing severed tie sections from beneath the rails of arailroad track.

A primary purpose of the invention is a device for grabbing and pullingsevered tie sections from beneath the rails of `a railroad track.

Another purpose is a combination tie cutter and tie remover, bothhydraulically operated.

Another purpose is a vehicle adapted to move along the rails of arailroad track and having means thereon for chopping up selected ties'and for removing the tie pieces from beneath the rails.

Another purpose is a hydraulic system for operating a tie puller of 4thetype described.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specication, drawings andclaims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view 0f a self-propelled machine of the vtypedescribed,

FIGURE 2 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, showing a device forpulling the tie from beneath the rails,

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the device shown in FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a liront View, similar to FIGURE 2, showing the device afterthe tie has been removed from the rails, and

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a hydraulic system foroperating the device shown.

In FIGURE l, the railroad track may include rails and suitable spacedcross ties 12. The rails are held `to the ties by suitable spikes andtie plates 14. Positioned for movement on the rails is a self-.propelleddevice which may include a frame indicated generally at 16 mounted onsuitable railroad wheels 1S. The frame 16 may include a pair ofsideframe members 20 which are held together by suitable cross bars orthe like 22.

Mounted on the frame 16 are Ia pair of spaced upright guide rails 24,there being one set of guide rails for each side of the frame. The guiderails may take yany form, and as shown herein, are large diameter tubesor the like. Spaced generally parallel support bars 26 may connectcorresponding guide rails, and in fact the guide rails and support b-arsmay be formed of a single member.

Mounted for vertical reciprocation between each pair of guide rails is aweighted blade indicated generally at 28. The blade may include a lowerknife portion 30 and an upper weight 32 which is bolted or otherwisesuitably secured to the blade. The guide rails 24 position the blade forreciprocation toward and away from the tie to be cut. As shown herein,the support structure for the blades is rigid and both of the bladeslare positioned to cut the `same tie at points generally adjacent andinside each of the rails. The invention should not be limited to theparticular structure shown, as in some applications it may be Adesirableto have an arrangement whereby the blades are swiveled to cut switchties or other rail arrangements in which the ties are skewed and notperpendicular to the rails.

Mounted on the 4front of the frame 16 is a motor and pump combination 34which may be used to drive the vehicle and which supplies hydrauliciluid to a pair of 3,249,152 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 ICC rams 36 mountedon the upper support structure. The pump may be connected to the rams byany suitable conduit or the like. Each of the weighted blades 28 ismoved by a cable 38 which runs over a pulley or the like 40 mounted on across bar 42. Each cable 38, after passing around the pulley 40, runsdown and Aaround the outside pulley 44 of a pulley arrangement 46positioned at the bottom of each of the rams 36. From -the outsidepulley 44 each cable 38 runs up and around a second pulley 48 which ismounted on top of the framework made up of the cross members 42 and thesupport members 26. From pulley 48 each cable 38 runs down and aroundthe inside pulley 5G of the pulley arrangement 46 and .then up to theframework where each cable is suitably secured. All of the abovediscussed details may be found in application Serial No. 161,546, ledDecember 22, 1961, now Patent Number 3,128,808 issued April 14, 1964, inthe name of Weltzin B. Blix, and assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention.

The pulley and cable arrangement shown will move the weighted blades inan upward direction when the ram is extended downward. 'Ihe blades arereleased for a substantially free drop toward the tie by rapidlydraining the uid from the rams 36.

The rear of the frame may mount a suitable seat 52 and controls 54positioned for easy access by the operator.

Mounted along each side of the frame 16 and generally in alignment withthe blades are means for removing severed tie sections from beneath therails. A subframework for mounting each tie puller may include a sideplate 56 suitably secured to a block or the like 58 which in turn isattached t0 the side of a frame member 20. A top plate 60 may beattached to an upper support block 62 which in turn is suitably attachedto the top of the frame 20. Bot-h 4the plates 56 fand 60 may be boltedor otherwise suitably secured to the support blocks.

Extending upwardly from the top plate 60 are a pair of spaced supportarms 64 which pivotally mount a piston and cylinder assembly indicatedgenerally at 66 at their upper end. The piston and cylinder assembly 66is pivotally mounted at its lower end to a framework indicated generallyat 68 which includes the means for clamping the tie to be removed.

A plurality of bearing members 70 extend outwardly from the plate 56yand there may be suitable -gussets or the like 72 for support. A shaft73 may be mounted in the bearing members with the shaft in Iturnmounting framework 68 for pivotal movement on plate 56.

The framework 68 includes a pair of spaced side plates 74 mounted onshaft 73 and a center plate 76 having a pair of arms 78 which form thepivotal connection with the .piston and cylinder assembly 66.

A pair of spaced rods 79 and 80 extend between the side plates '74 andslidably mount a pair of jaw members or clamping elements 82. Each ofthe jaw members has lower clamping portions 84, the front edges ofwhich, as shown in FIGURES 2 vand 4, are formed into a generally thinedge 86 so that the jaws may be pivotally moved down into the ballastadjacent the tie. The sides of the clamping portions may be somewhatinwardly slanted, as indicated at 88 and illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Attached to the outside of each of the side plates 74 is a piston andcylinder assembly indicated at 90. Each of the piston and cylinderassemblies has piston rods 92 extending inwardly and fixed to the jawmembers 82. The piston and cylinder assemblies are effective to slidablymove the jaw members toward and away from the tie to be removed. Each ofthe jaw members has an internal bore 94 for receiving the piston rods 92and the diameters of the bores 94 are slightly larger than the diametersof the piston rods. lIn this way, no radial force will be applied to thepiston and cylinder assemblies 90 during the clamping operation.

The hydraulic system for operating the tie puller may be connected intothe hydraulic system for operating the blades 30. In addition, thevehicle may be driven by a hydraulic motor. Although the invention hasbeen de-f scribed as being hydraulically operated, it should be realizedthat the pistons may also be pneumatically operated.

The hydraulic system for the tie puller only is shown in FIGURE 5. Aline 96 brings suitably hydraulic presl sure to a control valve 98having a manual actuating handle 100. Lines 102 and '104 run from thecontrol valve 98 to the piston and cylinder assemblies 90. Line 102brings pressure to one side of the piston and cylinder assemblies tomove the jaws to the outward or released position and line '104 bringspressure to the opposite side of the cylinders to move the jaws to theinward or clamping position. Attached to line 102 is a line 106 runningto a pressure sequence valve 110. From the the valve 110 a line 112connects to one side of the piston and cylinder assembly 66. Line 104opens into a line 114 which connects to a second pressure sequence valve116. From valve 116 a line 118 connects to the opposite side of thepiston and cylinder assembly 66.

In operation, assuming that the assembly has been moved down over thetieto be removed, and the jaws are in the outward position, valve 100 isoperated such that pressure will flow through line 104. The piston andcylinder assemblies 90 will move the jaws inward to clamp the tiesection to be removed. Once the pressure in line 104 reaches apredetermined level, for example 1,000 p.s.i., indicating that suitablepressure has been applied to the jaws to` rigidly hold the tie, pressuresequence valve 1'16 will open and pressure will flow through line 118 tomove the piston yof piston `and cylinder assembly `66 in an upwarddirection. This will pivot the assembly upward and pull the tie out fromunder the rails. The tie and clamping jaws will not be pivoted upwarduntil suitable clamping pressure has been applied by the jaws. Once thisclamping pressure has been applied, then the piston and cylinderassembly 66 is effective to move the jaws and tie `out from under therails. As press-ure increases to the required pressure for removing thetie, the same pressure increase is realized in the clamps, thus insuringa positive clamp on the tie.

Release pressure may be applied through line 102 to release the jaws.The tie will be released when it has been completely removed `frombeneath the rails. After the jaws have lbeen opened sufliciently torelease the tie by operation of handle 100, the machine may then bemoved to the next tie. After the tie has been chopped, handle 100 may beoperated to fully open the clamps which is followed by the opening ofsequence valve 110 and lowering of the clamping assembly down inposition to grab a tie section. This insures the clamps being open toaccept the tie to -be removed.

The use, operation and function of the invention are as follows:

The machine disclosed is designed to run on a section of railroad trackand to destroy worn out ties beneath the rails. As is conventional,before the ties are chopped, it is preferred that the spikes be removed,although it is not necessary to remove the tie plates. Once the bladesare positioned over the tie to be cut, they may 'be dropped, eithersimultaneously or independently, and they may be dropped any number oftimes, as what is important is to destroy or cut the tie. Preferably theblades are positioned to chop inside of each of the rails and to chopthe tie into three separate pieces.

After the tie has been chopped into pieces, it is de1 sirable to removethe tie by the same machine, thus completing removal of the tie in oneoperation. The hydraulic system `for operating the tie puller may betied in with the hydraulic system for operating the blades and a singleoperator may control the entire apparatus from one position. Theclamping jaws will be moved inwardly to cl-amp the tie to be removed.Once the jaws are tight on the tie section, the piston and cylinderassembly 66 will then automatically pivot the jaw assembly and thesevered tie section upwardly to draw or pull the severed tie sectionfrom beneath the rails.

Although not shown, there are preferably tie pullers on each side of theapparatus. These devices may simultaneously operate to pull tie sectionsor they may be operated singly. Either form is satisfactory.

Although the invention has been described as utilizing a singlehydraulic system for operating both the blades and the tie puller, thisis not necessary. One system may be hydraulic and the other pneumatic,or both could be pneumatic. In the form shown it is preferred to use thehollow `interiors of the frame member 20 as a hydraulic reservoir.

It is advantageous to keep the blades and their associated weights inthe down position when extracting tie ends to prevent the machine frombeing derailed. The blades will -butt against the center tiesection tohold the machine in position during extraction.

By using a pair of clamping rams and associated jaws, it is notnecessary to center the jaws over atie. The rams may move individuallyor one may remain stationary and the other ram may provide the clamping.

In the use of the device it will be understood that the individualmovement of the rams permits two tie ends to be removed simultaneously,but also permits the separate removal of one tie end if its removaltakes longer than the other. Thus the user has complete flexibility inthe tie-end removal. The simultaneous removal of both ends ispreferable, as limiting or preventing unequal side thrust. It ispreferred, during the removal of the tie ends, to maintain the blades inthe cut. As above mentioned, not only will the blades hold the machinein position during tie-end extraction; they largely limit side thrustagainst the rails, which prevents track misalignment. Since at the timeof the tie-end removal the spikes have generally been removed, the tieend slides out relatively leasily from below the rail. The removal ofall spikes 1s preferred. There is little, if any, misaligning sidethrust against the rail or rails, since the side thrust is substantiallytaken up by the penetration of the blades about the central tie sectionand into the ballast. When both tie ends are removed at once misaligningside thrust is practically eliminated.

The invention should not -be limited to a combination tie puller and tiechopper. It is also practical to have the tie puller on a separatemachine.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and describedherein, it should be realized that there are many modifications,substitutions and alterat1ons thereto within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In a rail mounted machine for removing the severed sections ofrailroad ties from beneath the rails, a frame, Wheels on the frame vformoving it along the rails of a railroad track, a support pivotallyattached to a side of the frame, a pair of non-rotatable jaws mounted onsaid support and slideable toward and away from a severed tie sectionpositioned beneath a rail, a pair of piston and cylinder assembliesmounted on said support, with each assembly being operatively connectedto one of said jaws for moving said jaws into a position to securelyclamp a severed tie section, and a piston and cylinder assembly mountedon the frame and pivotally attached to said support for swinging saidsupport, clamped slideable jaws.

and the piston and cylinder assemblies operatively attached thereto to asubstantial angle to the horizontal to move the severed tie section inan upward and outward arc until the tie section is removed from beneaththe rail and is disposed fat a substantial angle to the horizontal.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in" that said pistonand cylinder assemblies are hydraulically operated, and means forautomatically operating the piston and cylinder assembly pivoting saidsupport as soon as said jaws are in rm engagement with a tie section.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized by a pressure sequencevalve for automatically operating the piston and cylinder assemblypivoting said support after a predetermined pressure has been applied bysaid yaws.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 984,412 2/1911Andrews 11M- 193.2 1,041,014 10/1912 Busbey 144-1932 1,186,002 6/1916Jones 104--9 Robb P14-133.6

Ruggeri 254-43 Neils 144-31 Nylund 144-310 Woolery 144-133.6 Williams104-9 Busch et al 14A-3.4

Perazzoli 104-9 Stewart 104-9 l ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

LESTER M. swrNGLE, WILLIAM W. DYER, JR.,

Examiners.

1. IN A RAIL MOUNTED MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE SEVERED SECTIONS OFRAILROAD TIES FROM BENEATH THE RAILS, A FRAME, WHEELS ON THE FRAME FORMOVING IT ALONG THE RAILS OF A RAILROAD TRACK, A SUPPORT PIVOTALLYATTACHED TO A SIDE OF THE FRAME, A PAIR OF NON-ROTATABLE JAWS MOUNTED ONSAID SUPPORT AND SLIDEABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM A SEVERED TIE SECTIONPOSITIONED BENEATH A RAIL, A PAIR OF PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLIESMOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, WITH EACH ASEMBLY BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTEDTO ONE OF SAID JAWS FOR MOVING SAID JAWS INTO A POSITION TO SECURELYCLAMP A SEVERED TIE SECTION, AND A PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY MOUNTEDON THE FRAME AND PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORT FOR SWINGING SAIDSUPPORT, CLAMPED SLIDEABLE JAWS AND THE PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLIESOPERATIVELY ATTACHED THERETO TO A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL TOMOVE THE SEVERED TIE SECTION IN AN UPWARD AND OUTWARD ARC UNTIL THE TIESECTION IS REMOVED FROM BENEATH THE RAIL AND IS DISPOSED AT ASUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL.